FAIR treatment by schools of all children, regardless of their beliefs, is more important to parents than who is patron, a forum on pluralism in education will hear this morning.

PUPILS with special needs are to lose 10% of the resource teaching they need under the latest education cutbacks imposed because of EU/IMF staffing limits.

Ruairí Quinn’s moves to transfer some Catholic schools to other patrons has been well received, writes Education Correspondent Niall Murray

AMBITIOUS plans by Education Minister Ruairí Quinn to transfer up to half of Catholic primary schools to new patrons from early next year have been broadly welcomed.

THINK again if you were going to buy your teenage child, niece, nephew or godchild a good book for Christmas because the chances are they won’t really mean it when — or if — they say “thank you”.

EXPENSIVE specialised uniforms can defeat the aim of dress codes designed to put all pupils on the same level at school, a parents’ leader claims.

PUPILS and parents are to have a stronger input into Department of Education assessments on the work of their schools, Tánaiste Mary Coughlan has announced.

THE Government must put more urgency on implementing laws giving rights to supports in school for children with disabilities, a parents’ leader has claimed.

PARENTS want teachers to end any industrial action that will directly affect their children’s education, as unions plan to intensify their campaign against pay cuts.

THE group representing parents of primary pupils believes anybody whose handling of child protection issues was questioned in the Murphy report should not continue as school patrons.

MORE than 65,000 teachers and lecturers will take to the picket line in 10 days’ time, leaving the parents of almost 800,000 school pupils needing to arrange childcare on November 24.

THE provision by the state of a year of pre-school education will not cover full-day childcare but the measure was generally welcomed last night.

CHILDREN with learning difficulties will also lose out as a result of government cutbacks, teachers have warned.

PARENTS are afraid to raise problems with teachers or principals because they fear it might impact on their children’s education, school leaders have been told.

PARENTS of pupils starting school this week should tell their children to talk to them about bullying or other bad experiences to prevent such problems becoming worse, the National Parents Council-Primary has advised.

PARENTS’ representatives have said they believe State systems have failed if the threat of jail is held over parents who do not send their children to school.

A MAJOR row has erupted between parents and schools over proposed changes to rules on the teaching of English in all-Irish schools.

PARENTS have urged researchers and companies not to use schoolchildren to test or market their products.

PARENTS have described the Catholic Church’s guidelines as more of a judgment measure than a protection measure for children.

PAID supervision of pupils should be extended before and after school to mind children being dropped off early, according to school managers.

PUPILS must be given a voice in the development of school behaviour policies, Children’s Ombudsman Emily Logan said at the weekend.

MORE than one-in-10 calls to a parents’ helpline are about pupils who say they are being bullied or intimidated by teachers or principals.